RADIO CONTROL SCALE
Jeff Troy
200 S. Spring St., Ambler, PA 19002
ANITA AND BILL Northrop rolled out the red carpet for modelers and industry folks from across the country—and a few other countries, too. I was one of the impressed spectators attending the International Modeler Show (IMS) last January in Pasadena, California. The IMS keeps getting bigger and better each year, but this year's consumer and exhibitor attendance was exceptionally high.
One of my prerequisites for qualifying any trade show as worthwhile is the quality of its static displays. I don't consider competition in the static arena the ingredient that can make or break a show, but I do feel that the average modeler will have missed something important if he or she can't get a look at a few top-notch pieces of fine craftsmanship in exchange for the price of an admission ticket. Naturally, this year's IMS didn't disappoint the onlookers.
Notable Static Displays
Bob Williams brought a first-class Yellow Aircraft F-16 C/N to inspire the crowd, and this airplane fulfilled that task easily. The model is a glass, foam, and carbon-fiber composite kit. Bob's version featured a BVM .91 engine and Vio-Jett fan, a puffer pipe, and in-flight mixture control. Guidance is via an Airtronics Vision 8-P computer-driven system. The landing gear tucks and extends with components from Yellow Aircraft, Byron Originals, and Bob Violett Models.
K&B primer and catalyst handled the underbase for Bob Williams's Model Master paint and Delstar clear coats. Aeroloft Designs provided the markings for the aircraft. The overall effect of this combination of materials on Bob's airplane is outstanding. All-up weight is just 13-1/2 pounds.
The International Modeler Show People's Choice award was presented to the energetic modeling team of Ron and Scott Doucette of San Gabriel, California, for their Supermarine Spitfire Mk XIV. This 1/5-scale, heavy-metal warbird was also built from a Yellow Aircraft fiberglass-and-foam kit and features Yellow Aircraft retracting landing gear. The tailwheel retracts with the main gear and even sports its own closing doors. This fine Spitfire spans 88 inches, weighs 24 pounds, and is powered by a SuperTigre 3000 with a great-looking set of home-brew, operational scale exhaust stacks.
Chevron Model Products' Perfect Prime paints were used to give the model its authentic color scheme, and every one of the Spit's markings is hand-painted. Guidance is by Futaba's PCM 1024 computer system. The model took the Doucette boys approximately nine months to complete, and it appears that every minute spent proved worthwhile. Nice job, guys!
Manufacturers and New Products
Manufacturers' exhibits were plentiful at the IMS, and every one of them was packed to the hilt with kits, radios, engines, and accessories in any and every combination to entice and excite us all.
Cal Orr, of Custom Electronics, showed me his new Custom Charge Mount (CCM), a handy item that most of us should consider. This unit will accept Airtronics, Futaba J-series, Hitec, JR, or the new World Engines charge connectors without modification of any kind. This makes a practical accessory for those who fly more than a single brand of system.
The CCM unit, with two-screw mounting, features a sturdy vinyl cover to keep dirt, burned fuel, and anything else out of the picture. Check out this inexpensive unit. Send a request for information along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Custom Electronics, P.O. Box 1332, Alta Loma, CA 91701.
Bob Holman had several interesting items on display, but his newest offering was not available at the IMS. He recently introduced Dennis Bryant's Elite Druine Turbulent plans and accessories. The new plan reveals far more authentic detail—for instance, the cowl is more accurate. The Turbulent plans are shipped rolled, and a full set of wing ribs should be available by the time you read this.
Bob Holman is also offering A and D-9 variants of the FW-190 in anything you'd like—from plan sets to complete pre-primed and pre-sheeted glass-and-foam kits. Those who want to really relax can even order a Butcher Bird with its firewall preinstalled. Write to Bob Holman Plans for information and a price quote for the latest BHP catalog: P.O. Box 741, San Bernardino, CA 92402. Don't forget the SASE!
Adhesives: Sta-Put II
If you sheet foam wings, you're going to love Sta-Put II spray adhesive. Bubba Spivey, from Lanier RC, turned me on to a can of Sta-Put II spray adhesive at the IMS. I was building one of Lanier's nonscale Stinger 120s to practice my scale flight presentation, and I have to tell you that this stuff worked differently and beautifully right from the start.
With a spray adhesive, an otherwise heavy-handed modeler is able to get a much lighter, more even coating of adhesive on sheets and cores than with brush-applied glue. Even though many other high-quality spray contact cements are available, none has the unique nozzle extension found on the end of the Sta-Put II valve. This extension keeps the adhesive concentrated on the surfaces to be coated. If you've ever sprayed a set of cores and a few sheets, you'll appreciate the benefits of this new nozzle.
Couple Sta-Put II's perfect application method with the fact that sprayed parts can be joined after a two-minute wait, and you've got a system that can't be beat in this part of the world. Sta-Put II is available through local hobby shops and mail-order retail outlets nationwide. For information on Sta-Put II, send an SASE to Lanier RC, P.O. Box 458, Oakwood, GA 30566.
Engines
If your project needs a two-stroke engine with greater displacement than a .108 but you don't want to change over to gasoline guzzlers, consider Webra's latest Speed 1.20 two-stroke. The engine features a new modified carburetor design and is claimed to hold a solid 9,500 rpm on an APC 16 x 8 prop. This achievement promises remarkable flight performance since the engine weighs only 26 ounces. A spec sheet is available from Horizon Hobby Distributors, 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61821.
DOCU-SEARCH
Russell Lynch needs information on plans and kits that may be available for Stinson's Voyager, Station Wagon, or 108 airplanes. He noticed the picture we ran of Milt Peacock's 108 and thought there must be someone out there who could help him.
- Russell Lynch
11295 Sher Lane, Orlando, FL 32836
John W. McKee needs color chips or accurate color documentation for the Curtiss Hawk P‑1B. I'll quote from John's letter:
"Profile Publications No. 45 says, 'overall khaki brown, a colour which became increasingly dark over the years and eventually came to be called olive drab.'
"Peter Westburg noted 'Khaki is not olive drab; it is a yellowish-brown, red-yellow in hue.' The photos I have of the P‑1B do not seem to show any gloss or sheen, so could the finish be called 'flat'?"
Can anyone lend John a hand?
- John W. McKee
5601 Bayway Dr., Baytown, TX 77520
R.C. (no pun!) Burnett has written 12 letters asking for help in locating three-view or construction drawings of the Curtiss Tanager, the aircraft that won the 1929 Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Competition held at the U.S. Army Air Field (later known as Mitchel Field) at Hempstead, Long Island, New York. The Tanager is a flap-and-spoiler-equipped, cabin-type biplane that sounds most interesting. Can anyone help R.C.? His name alone should be worth a double effort!
- R.C. Burnett (contact via Docu-Search submissions)
Please note: Docu-Search is intended to assist those with real problems. There isn't space to list requests for Corsairs, Cubs, DC‑3s, and similar, easily documented subjects. You can find abundant information on most well-known airplanes in almost any library, bookstore, or airplane magazine.
Commercial documentation sources are listed in Model Aviation's advertising directory each month. I hope you will consult them before giving up on your quest. Much information is also available to members of N.A.S.A. (the National Association of Scale Aeromodelers), which is scale modeling's special interest representative group to the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Check everything—you never know which source may prove to be the right one for your particular project.
Reader Notes and Resources
I received a note from Ray Wright, an RC sailplane enthusiast stationed on a submarine, who enjoys reading our "RC Scale" column in the copies of Model Aviation on board his ship. Ray sent a copy of an article that appeared in Off-Duty magazine.
He wants you to know that the National Archives and Records Administration, Still Pictures Branch (7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20408), has a fantastic array of photographs available, as does the Department of Defense, Still Media Records Center, Code SSRC, Building 168, Anacostia Naval Station, Washington, DC 20374-1681.
According to the article, fees associated with research are reasonable, and additional charges are made for prints. If you need something badly enough and haven't found exactly what you need elsewhere, perhaps there's hope for your project after all. For subjects in service prior to 1982, try the National Archives. Use the DoD to hunt for newer equipment.
I have not used either of these services, but I'm happy to let you know of their availability, courtesy of Mr. Wright. Thanks, Ray.
Appleton, Wisconsin's Jim Rosera sent a photo of his new Extra 230, although he does beg forgiveness for his monascale. Jim's model weighs only 11 pounds and is powered by a Zenoah G‑38, which promises outstanding performance. The airplane uses conventional construction with balsa-sheathed foam wing cores and a balsa-sheathed foam turtledeck. Its cowl and wheelpants are fiberglass. Jim covered his Extra 230 with Coverite's 21st Century Fabric.
Once again, thank you all for supporting this column each month, and thanks so much for your letters and your interest in radio-control scale airplanes. You keep this column going.
Build straight and fly safely; I'll talk to you again.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
